Justice for Hen Harriers! #justice4henharriers

Mark Avery I'm an author and environmental campaigner. One of my passions is ending the illegal persecution of a wonderful bird called the Hen Harrier. We've reached our funding target March 2, 2018 We did it - together! Over 900 of us have raised the money needed to mount our judicial review against Natural England.And it took four and a half days. You are amazing!The speed with which the total was reached just shows how strongly people feel about this issue. We are doing our bit to get #justice4henharriers.Thank you - that's all I can say. THANK YOU!Read More >> I'm one of a group of like-minded campaigners seeking a better deal for threatened wildlife. We need your support to challenge the government to do more, and do the right things, for a persecuted bird, the Hen Harrier.Hen Harriers are wonderful birds whic...

Comment on Blood brothers: Manu’s brother Marc also disappears

This relentless illegal thuggery must be stopped, and in my view the only way is to ban driven grouse shooting. The 'disappearance' of these two birds from Scotland also shows just how cravenly ineffective will be the government's 'Hen Harrier Action Plan. Itself probably unlawful you can help support a bid to get it changed here: www.crowdjustice.com/.../justice-for-hen-harriers ...

Blog Post: Blood brothers: Manu’s brother Marc also disappears

RSPB Investigations Liaison Officer, Jenny Shelton, sheds more light on the disappearances of two hen harrier siblings, Marc and Manu, in similarly unsettling circumstances. Manu (left) and Marc (right) as nestlings (image by Tim Jones) If a mother hen harrier could give her chicks any words of wisdom, it might be this: stay away from grouse moors. Moorland is the natural habitat of these birds, but a number of them have disappeared over moorland areas managed for driven grouse shooting. The latest casualty is Marc, a bird who was satellite tagged in the Scottish Borders in 2017, along with his brother Manu, as part of the RSPB’s EU-funded Hen Harrier LIFE project. Marc’s tag had been functioning perfectly, showing him flying around hills and upland farmland all winter. Then, at the end of January 2018, he decided to explore a new area...

RSPB's Hen Harrier LIFE Project Manager, Dr. Cathleen Thomas gives an update on the class of 2017. The winter months can be hard for young hen harriers, and it’s a worrying time to monitor them. With poor weather, difficult foraging conditions, and the risk of illegal persecution, every day they survive feels like a small victory. That’s why I am sad to confirm the natural demise of more of the class of 2017. Back in August 2017, we proudly added the journeys of 12 young hen harriers to our project website where we provide regular updates on their movements. First we lost Calluna , who disappeared on 12 th August on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park. We were able to retrieve Mannin after his failed sea crossing from the Isle of Man on 14 th August. On 18 th October, Manu disappeared over moorland at Blenkinsopp Commo...

New initiative to target the raptor killers in North Yorkshire

How about this for proper, proactive, genuine partnership working to tackle illegal raptor killing in North Yorkshire, one of the UK’s most prolific raptor persecution hotspots.This is really encouraging. There’s no obsfuscation here, just a clear acknowledgement that raptors are still being illegally killed in North Yorkshire and an equally clear intention from all the project partners that this will no longer will be tolerated.Well done North Yorkshire Police, RSPB, RSPCA, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and North York Moors National Park Authority.Press release from North Yorkshire Police, 17 February 2018:It’s “talons out” for raptor persecutors as North Yorkshire Police launches Operation OwlPolice are urging visitors to North Yorkshire’s countryside to get involved with Operation Owl – a new initiative to ...

Blog Post: Skydancing with Gill Lewis

Community Engagement Officer for England, Aimée Nicholson, talks about her experiences of working with children's author Gill Lewis. One of the greatest parts of being a Community Engagement Officer for the Hen Harrier LIFE project is being able to go into a school on a morning with children who know nothing about hen harriers and leave the same children, at the end of the day, Skydancing and singing about Harry the Harrier. It is a wonderful thing to behold a future generation of naturalists getting enthused over a very special bird of prey. Children’s author Gill Lewis has spent the past few years doing the same whilst researching and writing her book Skydancer. This is a story about young people living on the moors and their experiences when they encounter hen harriers on this moorland, which is managed for driven grouse shooting. Th...

Comment on Two more hen harriers go missing

Satellite tagging birds and monitoring nests gives excellent data which can be used to help these birds. It also shows that these birds are persecuted to the severe detriment of the species in the U.K. which will not change until those killing the birds stop doing so. Please keep monitoring nests and fitting satellite tags, the more the better. ...

Blog Post: Two more hen harriers go missing

RSPB's Project Manager for Hen Harrier LIFE, Dr. Cathleen Thomas, provides an update on the class of 2017. Through a career in conservation, you have the privilege of working with some amazing wildlife, but you also have to face the reality that most individuals will never fulfil their full potential, due to the threats they face on a daily basis. As I’ve followed the journeys of the juvenile hen harriers in the class of 2017 , it’s been difficult to remain hopeful for our youngsters, in the face of an uncertain fate. First we lost Calluna , whose satellite tag transmissions stopped abruptly on 12 th August on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park, then on 14 th August there was Mannin ’s failed sea crossing from the Isle of Man. I’m sad to report that we have now lost a further three birds. Sirius was a male hen harrier, w...

Backsbottom Farm 2017-11-15 10:33:00

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris Author: Macfarlane R & Morris J, Illustrated, Nature, Reviewer: Peter Reason, Words Reviewed by Peter ReasonWhen our postman handed me the package that contained my review copy of The Lost Words I blurted out, ‘I’ve been waiting for this!’ In the weeks before its delivery I had read hugely appreciative reviews in the national press and on line. The book has benefited from a major marketing campaign from the publishers, aimed firmly at the Christmas market, and attracted much attention. So while delighted to get my copy I was also a bit anxious: would I like it or was it over-hyped? Would I find anything to write about it that has not already been written?I took the book to my favourite armchair and slowly turned the pages, first taking ...

Raptor Persecution…….again……

Bowland: Crimes Against Natureby Eleanor Daisy Upstill-Goddard · 22nd September 2017 We have all heard of the expression ‘to turn a blind eye’, meaning to pretend that a particular act or occurrence has gone unnoticed and unregistered, to ignore something or even to neglect it. I am sure there have been times in most people’s lives where they have ‘turned a blind eye’ to something. Though (hopefully!) these incidents have been rather minor ones, incidents like pretending you did not see your little brother smash your mum’s vase, or ignoring the fact that your dog just ate your favourite pair of shoes. They are incidents that are minor irritations, but they are not ones that will not have a greater impact on our lives and not generally things of huge importance. They are not for...

Statement on Persecution of Birds of Prey

copyright F.of B.7th November 2017The Forest of Bowland AONB is an important area for the birds of prey that we associate with the English uplands, such as hen harrier, peregrine, merlin and short-eared owls. However, the RSPB Birdcrime Report 2016 published last week highlights how some of these iconic species continue to be the subject of illegal acts of persecution throughout much of England and particularly the northern uplands.The Chair of the Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee, County Councillor Albert Atkinson stated:"It is particularly concerning to the Committee that these acts of illegal persecution continue; badly affecting the populations of birds of prey that are synonymous with the Forest of Bowland. These acts undoubtedly have an impact on the reputation of Bowland as an 'Area of Outstanding Natur...

Blog Post: Introducing Cathleen

Our new(ish) Hen Harrier LIFE Project Manager Dr Cathleen Thomas reflects on her first few months in the role. Avid followers may have noticed that we’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately. Some of you will know that Blánaid Denman left the Hen Harrier LIFE project in August to become the RSPB’s Area Conservation Manager for the North East and Cumbria. Blánaid has done some great work on the project and we’re sad to see her go, but the baton has been passed on and I now have the privilege of managing the Hen Harrier LIFE project through to its end. I’ve had a mind boggling couple of months getting up to speed with our hen harriers as the project reaches the halfway point. This year we satellite tagged more birds than ever before and it’s amazing to see how much we’re learning about their dispersal and range, provid...

Farmers Workshop on Natural Flood Management

19 Oct 2017Guided walk around demonstration area on farm Natural Flood Management Farmers meeting on 19th October 2017 visited the slow the flow demonstration on Backsbottom Farm to see check dams, swales and blanket bog restoration and discussed mob grazing and keyline subsoiling. Early in the day we had brief presentations from Lune Rivers Trust, Environment Agency, Natural England and the Abbeystead Estate. It was a morning of lively discussion with 20 participants. Thanks to Sandra Silk from the Forest of Bowland AONB for organising this.Slow The Flow: Check Dams and In River Training Demonstration area ...

Blog Post: Mannin’s failed sea-crossing

RSPB Scotland’s Investigation Intelligence Officer Jenni Burrell provides an update on Mannin, the Isle of Man sat-tagged hen harrier. Monitoring satellite-tagged hen harriers can bring many positives – following an individual bird from the day it was fitted with a transmitter until its first flights away from the nest area, its travels through the UK (and beyond in some cases ) or even hopefully until its own first nesting attempt. Unfortunately, however, it can also bring some negatives. Sadly, here, we report on the death of another of our 2017 birds. Mannin, along with his sister Grayse, was tagged on the Isle of Man on 3 rd July 2017 by trained & licensed members of the Scottish Raptor Study Group and Manx Ringing Group in partnership with Manx Birdlife. After fledging in July, Mannin explored his home island until 14 th Augu...

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RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre

An interpretive centre which explains why the Ribble Estuary and the Fylde peninsula are so important to birds and other wildlife. Situated at Fairhaven Lake a man made lake that has attracted some rarities in the past. Also easy access to dunes. Lots of parking Grid ref. (SD340274)